Ethnarch (pronounced/ˈɛθnɑːrk/, alsoethnarches,Greek:ἐθνάρχης) is a term that refers generally to political leadership over a commonethnic group or homogeneous kingdom. The word is derived from theGreek wordsἔθνος (ethnos, "tribe/nation") andἄρχων (archon, "leader/ruler").Strong's Concordance gives the definition of 'ethnarch' as "the governor (not king) of a district".[1]
The title first appeared in theHellenisticMiddle East, possibly inJudea.[2] In theFirst book of Maccabees the word is used three times (1 Maccabees 14:47 and 15:1-2), whereSimon Thassi is referred to as thehigh priest and ethnarch of the Judeans.[3][note 1]
It was used in the region even after it fell under the dominion of Rome, and into the earlyRoman Empire, to refer to rulers of vassal kingdoms who did not rise to the level ofkings. The Romans used the termsnatio andgens for a people as a genetic and cultural entity, regardless of political statehood.
The best-known is probablyHerod Archelaus, son ofHerod the Great, who was ethnarch ofSamaria,Judea (BiblicalJudah), and Idumea (BiblicalEdom), from the death of his father in 4 BC to AD 6. This region is known as theTetrarchy of Judea. His brother Philip received the north-east of the realm and was styledTetrarch (circa 'ruler of a quarter'); andGalilee was given toHerod Antipas, who bore the same title. Consequently, Archelaus' title singled him out as the senior ruler, higher in rank than the tetrarchs and the chief of the Jewish nation; these three sovereignties were in a sense reunited underHerod Agrippa from AD 41 to 44.[5]
Previously,Hyrcanus II, one of the laterHasmonean rulers of Judea, had also held the title of ethnarch, as well as that ofHigh Priest.
In theNew Testament the word is used only once by theApostle Paul in hisSecond Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 11:32).[3][note 2] However the definition of the word in terms of the actual jurisdiction and public office of the ethnarch may not be accurately determined.[3]
TheByzantines used the term generically to refer to the rulers ofbarbarian tribes or realms outside the boundaries of their empire.[6] In a Christian context, whereethnikos meant "pagan," someChurch Fathers used the termethnarches to designate pagan national gods.[2] In the 10th century, the term acquired a more technical sense, when it was given to several high-ranking commanders. Although the specific nature of the title is not attested, it is generally accepted that in the 10th–11th centuries, it signified the commanders of the contingent of foreign mercenaries serving in theByzantine army.[2]
Rather different was the case of minority community ethnarchs, especially within the IslamicOttoman Empire that were recognized as legitimate entities (millet) and thus allowed to be heard by the government through an officially acknowledged representative, though without political persona.
When the Ottoman SultanMehmet II decided to give such dialogue a more formal nature, the logical choice for the major Orthodox Christian communities was the Greek OrthodoxEcumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Thenon-Chalcedonian Christians (Armenians, Syriacs, and Copts) were represented by theArmenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. For the far smaller, but also influentialJewish diaspora, a similar position was granted to theHakham Bashi, i.e., chief rabbi.
In modern Greek usage, the term has the connotation of "father of the nation", and has been widely used as an epithet applied to perhaps the most influential political leader in modern Greek history:Eleftherios Venizelos.[7][8] In more recent times, it has also been attributed toKonstantinos Karamanlis.[9][10][11][12]
In the context of modernCyprus, the term nearly always refers toArchbishop Makarios. Makarios was the lastArchbishop to hold a double religious (Archebishop) and political (Leader of theGreek Cypriots) role under foreign rule, similar to theEcumenical Patriarch under theMillet system.[13][14] This regime, called the Ethnarchy, was retained during theBritish rule in Cyprus and survived in practice until independence in 1960. Additionally, Makarios became the firstPresident of Cyprus after independence.
Unlike Venizelos and Karamanlis, who are rarely ever called ethnarches in such uses, streets of major Greek cities are named after Makarios:Greek:Εθνάρχου Μακαρίου,lit. 'Ethnarch Makarios(' str.)'
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